see also: in May 2005 Press Releases:   Machine Readable Passports Required for all Visa Waiver Program Travel as of June 26, 2005   CBP Border Patrol Intercepts Over 8 Tons of Marijuana   Brazil Will Participate in Container Security Initiative to Screen Cargo Destined for U.S.   U.S. Customs and Border Protection Announces the Arrival of Nine New Puppies   CBP Officers Seize Almost Two Tons of Marijuana at Calexico Port   Tips For U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents Traveling Abroad ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

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A screaming woman hidden inside the engine compartment of a car was rescued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers shortly before 9 a.m.Thursday after the vehicle entered the U.S. at the downtown Calexico port of entry.

Officers heard loud screaming coming from a late model Ford Grand Marquis as it approached the primary inspections booths. Several officers rushed to the vehicle and realized that the screaming was coming from the engine compartment.

A CBP officer opened the hood and found a 40–year old Mexican female lying horizontally between the front grill and the radiator. Officers quickly pried off the front grill assembly of the car and removed the woman, who complained of burns.

She was rushed to the secondary inspection area where officers rendered assistance. The Calexico fire department was contacted and paramedics arrived to treat the woman at the scene. No serious injuries were sustained, officials said.

The driver, a 60-year old male from Mexicali, Mexico, was arrested to face smuggling charges. The woman, who resides in Tijuana, has been paroled into the U.S. to act as a material witness, officials said.

“This is a graphic example of the dangers facing undocumented people who entrust themselves to smugglers,” said Adele Fasano, San Diego director of field operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “We continue to be deeply concerned about the desperate measures employed by smugglers and we urge undocumented people not to risk their lives and the lives of their family members.”

Over 49,000 undocumented migrants were apprehended being smuggled in vehicles through the five land border ports of entry on the California/Mexico border in fiscal year 2004.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the protection of the nation’s borders. CBP unified Customs, Immigration and Agricultural inspectors and the Border Patrol into one border agency for the United States.